Search

This paper presents the first comprehensive nationwide trend detection of mean discharges in Croatia. Over the last 30 years, global climate change has manifested itself largely in the rise of the average annual temperature, which has resulted in the changes of evapotranspiration and precipitation patterns. The consequences of those changes have been varied spatial impacts on river discharge (flow). We analysed the changes in mean river discharges in Croatia at 53 gauging hydrological stations over the most recent period from 1990 to 2009. To assess the trend, the Kendall-Theil (Sen) non-parametric trend test was carried out for the yearly and seasonal mean discharge values. We found evidence of redistribution of discharge throughout the year, an increase in autumn and winter discharges (especially on the rivers dominantly fed by snowmelt) and a decrease in summer discharge values. Furthermore, we detected a change in the month of the appearance of mean discharge maxima and minima. In most cases the changes can be explained by the changes in the regime of climate elements (temperature, precipitation, evapotranspiration) although that information should be treated with care because of the shortness of the time-series. The results are consistent with the ones from the upstream countries, i.e. Slovenia and Austria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses variability of precipitation in Osijek in three periods of thirty years, starting from the year 1901 till 1990. In period from 1931 till 1990 primary maximum of precipitation was in summer (June), and secondary maximum was in autumn (November). Primary minimum of precipitation was at the end of winter (March), and secondary minimum was in autumn (September). In researched period total amount of precipitation decreased, same as average relative variability. Largest decrease was in autumn (October). Average relative variability in researched period has also decreased. Minimum of variability was in June, a month with maximum precipitation and maximum of variability was in October, although the minimum of precipitation was in March. One of the reasons for maximum variability in October is a significant decrease of precipitation amount in that month. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]